Beck picks right time for Emmaus

Linebacker's interception keys Green Hornets' win.

September 02, 2006|By Ron Kohl Special to The Morning Call -- Freelance

Zach Beck had been waiting for his chance, waiting somewhat impatiently, throughout much of Emmaus' season opener against host Quakertown.

And when it came, the Green Hornets junior linebacker made the most of his opportunity. Beck's tip-drill interception led to a quick Michael DeBellis touchdown run that helped propel the visitors to a 28-0 non-league victory.

With the Hornets holding a 6-0 lead early in the third quarter and the Panthers pinned deep in their own territory, Beck slipped out into the flat to contest a swing pass from Quakertown quarterback Seth Kandel to Nate Dixon.

When Kandel's throw was a bit high and skittered off Dixon's hands, Beck was right there to pick it off and run it back to the Panthers' 2-yard-line.

Two plays later, DeBellis scored, and Emmaus rolled from there.

"We went over that play in practice, and I was waiting for it most of the game," Beck said. "I thought they would do it, and then they finally did it and I got the tip. He threw it too high, and the kid couldn't hold onto it. The only way it would have been better is if I'd have scored."

In a battle of Quakertown's size up front against Emmaus' superior quickness, the Panthers held their own through much of the first half, only to short-circuit via penalties and a key turnover that led to the Hornets' first score.

Kyle Kozak's fumble recovery at the Quakertown 49 with 2:31 left before halftime provided excellent field position for Emmaus, and with Beck and speedy sophomore Carl Billera (four carries for 26 yards) handling the load, Emmaus moved quickly downfield.

Quarterback Caleb Fick found Alex Hersch just inside the left pylon for the game's first score with eight seconds remaining in the half.

At that point, the Panthers still hoped to rely on power and ball control. Beck's big play, however, left Quakertown behind by two scores and threw the hosts off their game plan for the rest of the day.

"That was probably the most critical point in the game, and the most important play, because that got us up there to where they were playing catch-up," noted Emmaus coach Joe Bottiglieri. "That put us up by two touchdowns, and we know the way they like to come at us. They don't throw the ball much that, on a night like tonight, that made it hard to come back. So that was a critical play."

"That was a big momentum swing," Quakertown coach John Donnelly said. "We usually run that play and we execute it very well. The throw could have been a little better, but our guy hit it and both hands touched the football. If he catches the ball, it's probably a first down and more. If we execute the play properly, it's a good play."

It was that kind of afternoon for the Panthers, who never advanced beyond the Emmaus 40, and then only in the fourth quarter.

"I'm not shocked at Emmaus and the way they played, because I know they're well-coached and have good athletes," Donnelly said. "I'm just shocked at the way we played. I think we were ready. I know we were ready -- mentally, physically. We just didn't make any plays."

Emmaus, 3-7 a year ago, made plenty with a series of swift-but-smallish skill players who used delays, draws and counters to find gaps and in the Quakertown defense.

Billera, just 5-6, 158 pounds, helped key a ground game that netted 185 yards on 36 carries. He shared the rushing load with fellow soph DeBellis, who is even smaller at 5-5, 149.

Fick, meanwhile, played very much like a savvy veteran, going 7-for-11 for 71 yards.

DeBellis provided a key insurance score early in the fourth quarter by stutter-stepping and sprinting his way to a 30-yard touchdown run. Emmaus closed out the scoring with an efficient 11-play, 57-yard march that ended with Fick's quick-strike 15-yard TD pass to Hersch.

"We were concerned with their size and their strength, because they're a big, strong team," Bottiglieri explained. "We knew we had some young kids who can run and have some speed, but we didn't know how they'd perform in the first game of their varsity careers.

"I guess they came through with passing grades, but we have a lot of work to do and a long way to go, because I think each week in the LVC, we're going to see better and better and better teams ..."

"This was a good win for us," Beck said. "We wanted to get some momentum going after the bad year we had last year. We worked hard in the offseason."